The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and method for transferring exhaust in a vehicle, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for transferring exhaust from a tractor unit of a truck to a trailer unit of the truck in order to heat various portions of the bed of the trailer unit.
A truck having a tractor unit and a trailer unit may be utilized for transporting material in the trailer unit. This type of truck is capable of unloading or ejecting the material from the trailer unit at various times. However, in certain weather conditions, the material has a tendency to adhere to the bed of trailer unit thereby resisting ejection from the trailer unit. In order to overcome this problem, some trailer units have been constructed which include a duct system for receiving a flow of exhaust generated by the engine of the tractor unit in order to heat the walls of the trailer unit. This heat inhibits the tendency of the material to stick to the trailer unit walls.
A certain type of truck which includes a duct system in its trailer unit for heating the walls thereof is an articulated dump truck. An articulated truck includes a tractor unit and a trailer unit connected to each other by a hitch assembly. The tractor unit has an engine for propelling the truck and providing power for various work functions. The tractor unit also includes an exhaust system for receiving a flow of exhaust from the engine. The trailer unit may be utilized for transporting material to and from various work locations. The trailer unit is adapted to eject the material at appropriate times.
However, an articulated truck is typically designed to be steered by bending the truck in the middle around the hitch assembly. Thus, the conduit which is used to convey the flow of exhaust from the tractor unit to the trailer unit for ultimate advancement through its duct system must be able to accommodate changes in the distance and angular relationship between the tractor unit and the trailer unit during operation of the truck. In particular, the hitch assembly allows the tractor unit to be pivoted in relation to the trailer unit in a horizontal plane (e.g. during a left or right turn). Moreover, the hitch assembly of the articulated truck typically allows the tractor unit to be moved in a rotational direction relative to the trailer unit due to the very coarse terrain in which the articulated truck is typically employed (e.g. due to scattered rocks or holes in the field).
One conduit design which has been used to accommodate the changing distance and orientation between the tractor unit and the trailer unit is a coil wound flexible steel tubing segment. However, this conduit design has the disadvantage of being relatively expensive, deteriorating quickly and possessing a rough interior surface which causes undesirable high back pressure in the exhaust system. Moreover, this conduit design further requires guide members to direct it from the tractor unit to the trailer unit.